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Forklift inspection checklist
Make a printable daily forklift inspection checklist for electric, propane, gasoline or diesel trucks. The checks follow OSHA’s sample pre-operation and operating checks. Change any line, then print one inspection per page or a week of shifts on one sheet, with a named copy for each truck.
In the print dialog, set the scale to 100% or Actual size. Choose Save as PDF as the printer to keep a copy.
What OSHA requires
In the United States, 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7) requires industrial trucks to be examined before being placed in service, at least daily, and after each shift where trucks run around the clock. A truck must not be placed in service if the examination shows a condition that adversely affects its safety, and defects must be reported and corrected.
The standard requires the examination; it does not prescribe a form. OSHA’s guidance on pre-operation checks says problems should be recorded on a log and reported to a supervisor, and offers sample checklists as a guide. A signed sheet for each shift is how most sites show the check was done. This is general information, not legal advice: state plans and your truck’s manual may ask for more.
What a daily forklift inspection covers
The inspection has two parts. The first is a walk-around with the key off: leaks, tires, forks, chains, guards and fluid levels. The second is with the truck running: brakes, steering, the lift and tilt controls, horn and lights. The lists below are what the generator starts with for each power type. Add your attachments, such as a side shifter or clamp, and anything the manufacturer’s manual lists.
Electric forklift
Before starting (key off)
- Leaks, cracks or other visible damage
- Hydraulic hoses and mast chains
- Hydraulic fluid level
- Tires: pressure, cuts and gouges
- Forks, heel and top clip retaining pin
- Load backrest extension
- Finger guards
- Overhead guard
- Safety decals and nameplate legible
- Operator manual on the truck and legible
- Operator compartment clear of debris
- Seat belt and other safety devices
- Battery cables and connectors intact
- Battery restraints
- Electrolyte level
- Hood latch
Operating checks (key on)
- Accelerator linkage
- Inch control, if equipped
- Service brakes
- Parking brake
- Steering
- Drive control: forward and reverse
- Tilt control: forward and back
- Hoist and lowering control
- Attachment control
- Horn
- Lights
- Back-up alarm, if equipped
- Hour meter
Gasoline or diesel forklift
Before starting (engine off)
- Leaks, cracks or other visible damage
- Hydraulic hoses and mast chains
- Hydraulic fluid level
- Tires: pressure, cuts and gouges
- Forks, heel and top clip retaining pin
- Load backrest extension
- Finger guards
- Overhead guard
- Safety decals and nameplate legible
- Operator manual on the truck and legible
- Operator compartment clear of debris
- Seat belt and other safety devices
- Engine oil level
- Engine coolant level
- Brake fluid reservoir
- Air filter
- Belts and hoses
- Radiator
- Hood latch
- Fuel level
Operating checks (engine running)
- Accelerator linkage
- Inch control, if equipped
- Service brakes
- Parking brake
- Steering
- Drive control: forward and reverse
- Tilt control: forward and back
- Hoist and lowering control
- Attachment control
- Horn
- Lights
- Back-up alarm, if equipped
- Hour meter
Propane (LPG) forklift
Before starting (engine off)
- Leaks, cracks or other visible damage
- Hydraulic hoses and mast chains
- Hydraulic fluid level
- Tires: pressure, cuts and gouges
- Forks, heel and top clip retaining pin
- Load backrest extension
- Finger guards
- Overhead guard
- Safety decals and nameplate legible
- Operator manual on the truck and legible
- Operator compartment clear of debris
- Seat belt and other safety devices
- Engine oil level
- Engine coolant level
- Brake fluid reservoir
- Air filter
- Belts and hoses
- Radiator
- Hood latch
Propane tank
- Tank mounted within the truck profile
- Pressure relief valve pointing up
- Hose and connectors
- Tank restraint brackets
- Tank free of dents and cracks
- No leaks: smell, frost or hissing
Operating checks (engine running)
- Accelerator linkage
- Inch control, if equipped
- Service brakes
- Parking brake
- Steering
- Drive control: forward and reverse
- Tilt control: forward and back
- Hoist and lowering control
- Attachment control
- Horn
- Lights
- Back-up alarm, if equipped
- Hour meter
Making the daily check stick
- Keep the sheet on the truck. A clipboard or document pouch on the overhead guard means the operator fills it in at the truck, not in the office afterwards.
- One sheet per truck, not per operator. List your forklifts and the generator names a sheet for each, so a defect is traced to the truck it was found on.
- Tag out what fails. A truck with a brake, steering, mast, fork or leak defect is parked and tagged until it is repaired. Write on the sheet who was told and when.
- Read the hour meter. Planned maintenance on lift trucks is set by hours of use. The reading on each sheet tells you when the next service is due.
- Have a supervisor review the sheets. The “Reviewed by” line is there so somebody other than the operator sees each defect.
The weekly sheet has a column for each day and suits a truck with one operator per shift; print one per shift if you run more than one. For services that follow a calendar, the preventive maintenance schedule prints a twelve-month plan, and our guide to the equipment maintenance log covers recording the repairs. Road vehicles have their own vehicle inspection checklist.
Forklift inspection checklist FAQ
Before the truck is placed in service, at least daily. Where forklifts are used around the clock, they must be examined after each shift. The rule is 29 CFR 1910.178(q)(7).
The standard requires the examination and that defects are reported and corrected; it does not prescribe a form. OSHA’s guidance says problems should be recorded on a log and reported to a supervisor, and a signed sheet per shift is the usual way to show the check was done. State plans and company policy may require a written record.
With the key off: leaks and visible damage, hydraulic hoses and mast chains, fluid levels, tires, forks, load backrest, guards, decals and the seat belt, plus the battery on an electric truck or the engine and fuel system on an engine-powered one. With the truck running: brakes, steering, drive, tilt and hoist controls, horn, lights and the back-up alarm.
A truck with a condition that adversely affects its safety must not be placed in service. Park it, tag it out, report the defect to a supervisor and write on the sheet what was found and who was told. It goes back into use when the repair is done.
The walk-around and operating checks are the same. An electric truck adds battery cables and connectors, battery restraints and electrolyte level. An engine-powered truck adds oil, coolant, belts, hoses and the radiator, and a propane truck adds the tank, its mounting, the relief valve, hose and connectors.
No. The checklist and the spreadsheet are made in your browser, and your settings are remembered on this device only.
Keep every inspection with the truck
AssetCenter keeps each forklift’s inspections, repairs, costs and documents on one timeline. Attach a photo of the completed checklist, and add a to-do for each defect with who will fix it and by when. Free for up to 25 assets.